Jammie Holmes (born 1984) is an American painter and public artist. As a painter, he is known for work that represents scenes of Black life in the American deep south, paying particular attention to the contrast of Louisiana as a hub of hospitality and as a place with a deep history of poverty and racism.[1][2] He has been described as a self-taught painter.[2] Holmes lives and works in
Dallas, Texas.[3]
Early life
Holmes was born and raised in
Thibodaux, Louisiana.[4][2] He grew up in a place surrounded by reminders of slavery along with the labor union conflicts which have had an intense presence since the
Thibodaux Massacre of 1887.[5]
Art career
In 2020 Holmes staged a performance where
George Floyd's last words were attached to airplane banners and flown above New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit and Miami.[6][7][8] The words appeared in large block text; in Detroit the banner read "PLEASE I CAN’T BREATHE", while in New York city it read "THEY’RE GOING TO KILL ME".[9][10] In 2021 he presented the billboard project I'VE SEEN IT ALL in Dallas, Texas.[11]